Hanshin Tigers reliever Jeff Williams will leave for the United States on Saturday to have his left shoulder examined, the club said Friday.
Williams will decide whether to have surgery depending on the test results, while the club has an option on Williams' contract for next season.
"We just don't know what to do about next season unless we get a realistic timetable for his return," said senior club official Shoji Numazawa.
Williams has been on a rehab assignment in the farm system since late July.
The left-hander helped Hanshin win the Central League titles in 2003 and 2005, forming the so-called "JFK" bullpen trio with Kyuji Fujikawa and Tomoyuki Kubota.
He is 1-1 with a 3.58 ERA in 31 appearances in his seventh season in Japan.